The legendary Yankee Doodle Tap Room has a long standing tradition as Princeton's destination for gastropub dining. Featuring an American grill menu and recognized as the central meeting place, there are over 19 world beers on tap and a variety of wines and specialty drinks. Seasonal seating is available in front of a cozy fire place or alfresco style on our patio in the heart of Palmer Square. Six large HDTVs broadcast sporting events year round.

Named after the mural painted by Norman Rockwell, which resides behind bar, the Yankee Doodle Tap Room's historic charm includes the carvings of past guests in the solid oak tabletops, and the famous photo gallery of notable Princeton University graduates from the past century.

There's always something happening from beer tastings to live music please check our website for the most up to date event announcements!

The Yankee Doodle Tap Room is located inside the Historic Nassau Inn Hotel. The hotel offers 13 private banquet rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. All spaces feature natural light and most have built in AV equipment. To book your private events for 2-200 people please call the sales department 609-921-7500.

icon/ic_cateringCreated with Sketch.

Catering

Whether you are conducting a business meeting or planning your wedding, our catering packages are sure to please. Our experienced sales team will help you plan the perfect event down to the last detail. If you don't see something you like, let us know! We can customize any package.

There are metered parking spots available or two parking garages; Chambers Street and Hulfish Street.

icon/ic_entertainmentCreated with Sketch.

Entertainment

Enjoy live music on our patio select nights throughout the summer. If it's not a music night there is always something happening in the Yankee Doodle Tap Room check our event calendar for up to date details on craft beer tastings and other special events.

I am writing because this visit was a disappointing. Starting with the restaurant manager delivering our soup to the wrong table, which threw off the server's timing. The menu was not vegetarian friendly to the point where we had to order an appetizer as an entrée. There was meat in almost everything, meaning even the salmon dish had chorizo in the risotto. The server did his best to make suggestions, but had to admit that even the fries are fried in the same oil as the wings. We usually go there after a concert but next year we will have to find a new place. It ruined what was a fun tradition for the holidays.

I grew up in Princeton and have a sentimental attachment to the Nassau Inn and Yankee Doodle Tap Room. The Norman Rockwell mural is fantastic to see in person, the booths with names and initials carved into the tables are charming and private as you settle in. The wait staff was so sweet and friendly, and the vegetarian quinoa and black bean burger option was delicious.

The food and ambience was ok. The problem was the service. I ordered two small items and asked for them twice. One was never delivered to the table and the other one (bread) came after we were almost done eating, too late. The waiter actually took my plate before I was done and without my permission. He just wisked it away before I could say anything. I enjoy leisurely meals but the service was sooo slow. I had reservations for my party and when we came in to give our name we were actually yelled at to “get out of the heavy traffic area”. I wanted to add Yankee Doodle Tap Room to the list of restaurants I eat at when I’m in Princeton but I won’t. The staff is just too rude. The staff needs better training.

Disappointed; expected much more from historic Princeton spot. Place was very dirty, very poor quality food, even the burger was the worst I have ever tasted. Topped off by a waitress who “was having a rough week” and hardly visited our table, service could not have been worse

The "tap room" at Nassau Inn is a very cheerful pub filled with Princeton University memorabilia including photos of famous alumni, wooden booths with carving by students, etc. It does get loud because of the bar but very pleasant and cozy atmosphere. There was a nice fire in the fireplace which was especially welcome on a cold and rainy night.

I’ve been there several times and I’ve concluded that if you stick with sandwiches, burgers and light fare you’ll be more satisfied versus main course dinners. My steak was seasoned with a strong dose of sage and it’s not grilled which is my preferred method. However excellent service and lively pub atmosphere make it a good gathering place. Will return and order the burger!

I met at the restaurant yesterday (7 October) for a Sunday brunch with two friends. The food was excellent; all of us ordered different menu items and we all agreed that our choices were outstanding. What was bothersome was the service. We were initially waited on, our choices recorded and the food arrived. After that, we were pretty much ignored. I never did get that coffee refill and our water glasses remained empty until I walked over to the hostess desk and asked someone to bring water. Nevertheless, we did leave more than adequate tips; having been a waitserver in my youth (long, long ago in another galaxy), I know how hard the job is and I am not happy about these comments.

We arrived at a quiet time: 1:00 pm. The waiter did not know the drinks menu or the food menu. He served the beers and wine, then took several tries for him to tell the bartender the correct name of the mixed drink featured on your menu. Also, one of the entrees (burger) was served 15 min after the vegetarian burger and the 3 chicken pot pies (which need more vegetables). I’ve been here many times before, during busier times, and seen much better service.

We didn't have a chance to enjoy a dinner at the Yankee Doodle Tap Room as they did not honor our reservation. We arrived at 7:30pm, the time of our reservation. They told us that there would be an additional 1 hour wait. Apparently, they were unprepared for how busy both town and the hotel was that evening. Totally unacceptable considering the level of competition in Princeton. This is not a restaurant that is worth the wait, especially when we already had a reservation.

The Yankee Doodle Tap Room is a decent place to eat though the prices are a little stiff. We split the hummus appetizer, caprese salad & salmon. The hummus was decent as was the salmon however while it was cooked nicely not a hint of seasoning was on there The caprese salad with balsamic dressing was definitely the winner. Decent place but not sure if I’d go back?

Many Princeton residents hang around this restaurant because of its historical theme. We enjoyed looking at the pictures of famous Princeton graduates and thereafter, toured visitors around the university. Oh, I forgot, we ate here too but the food is forgettable, just like any regular diner.

In ways this was a perfect spot to meet someone and have a nice long lunch where nobody hassles you, I like that a lot. Our server was perfectly nice, showed up from time to time but was never intrusive. I ordered a Chardonnay I know well and got something so lemony I had to send it back. Note to self: In a kind of Irish pub place, don’t trust the wine. We both ordered veggie burgers, which were fine. The fries were tasteless. I don’t know what other places do to make fries irresistable, but Yankee Doodle doesn’t seem to know either. Maybe this is really geared to a student crowd, though the other people eating lunch when we were there were older than that. In an area that has a lot of restaurants to offer, I don’t expect to go back here.

Yankee Doodle Tap Room is a great place for lunch in Princeton. We had salad and burgers - both delicious. I was disappointed that they didn't offer any gluten free pasta. The service was fair - nothing spectacular. Aside from this I would definitely go back. It's rich in Princeton University history and centrally located in Palmer Square.

Food and ambiance (sitting outside) were great, and the server was nice enough. But the service was extremely slow. We waited a very long time for appetizers, and then barely finished them when the entrees came. After our meal, we sat with empty water glasses, waiting a long time for our check. This even though our table was right next to the door that the servers were using to access the building, so we couldn't figure out how they didn't see us.

It was noon on a Sunday morning. The restaurant was slow. The brunch menu is somewhat limited. The choices my group of 5 made consisted of mostly burgers and chicken with waffles. All was edible but not better than home. The atmosphere is unique. Lots of brick and rough hewn beams with a Princeton U. nostalgia theme. The service was astonishingly bad. It nearly ruined our visit to town. We were off to the opera at 3pm. The young man who was our server was untrained and disappeared for extremely long periods of time between drink orders, meal orders, and coffee orders. We had to ask another server to go find him! Even after he realized we were annoyed with his going missing, he continued to do so. I saw no one of a supervisory capacity to ask for help. Perhaps that's where the problem stems from. Go for a drink at the bar but leave the rest of it.

Should’ve listened to the negative reviews. Slow, apathetic service met with uneven food (medium well burger was medium; medium and medium rare burgers were well done). Only the filet mignon was cooked properly, but that was the only victory from this meal. Absentee management, servers, and just general lack of friendliness or warmth from everyone but the young hostess. Could’ve gone to 10 other places and would not recommend or return. A slice of history doesn’t make up for a generally terrible restaurant.

The Tap Room was great 30 years ago when I lived in Princeton and now it is still special to visit when vacationing. It exemplifies the history, ambience, and fun of Princeton — with great food and service as well. Loved it then, love it now!

Early Mother’s Day reservation. Highly disappointed. Service was fair, and food served cold. Sent back only to have new orders lukewarm and not prepared as ordered. Drink order slow as well. Overall experience poor - will never go back.

Yankee Doodle Taproom was a great place to have a Mother’s Day breakfast. The staff was delightful and the food was delish. We would definitely consider stoping by for dinner to sample their evening fares or to grab a drink on date night.

We always like coming here - great energy, great food and service is good. However, the one thing that is always consistent, let it be a 5pm evening drop-in or a busy Saturday night, there is always at least a 45 min wait for food. The kitchen seems unable to cope weather it's a quiet night or a busy night, which is a shame. We've realized we need to come ready to wait quite a while for our food. Food is lovely though!

We had burgers and drinks. The burgers came out exactly as ordered (medium/well and medium) and the fries were crispy and delicious. Our waiter was not exactly attentive or particularly friendly, but she was adequate. Definitely want to go again; we'll sit at the bar, if we can.